Saturday, July 6, 2013

ᏓᏤᏝ ᎨᏎᏍᏗ

Ꭷ I believe the future must be our focus. ᎠᏉᎯᏳᎢ It certainly is mine. The goals of my community and loved ones guide my hands, feet, mind and heart. However I'm afraid the "past vs the future" is a false dichotomy. 

The heritage, histories and oral traditions of our people ᎢᏯᎾᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ have laid the foundation and framed our world views. What makes me who I am are my individual choices within the context of my community and tribal society. ᎦᏚᏩ ᏫᏥᎦᏘ I freely choose from the mainstream and flow with the modern world but I do my best to follow in the footsteps of my people. To do that, the past is my guide. ᏗᎧᏃᏩᏛᏍᏗ Not just the history books but the oral traditions and personal experiences of my loved ones and community members are what guide my hopes and dreams for the future, and I am ecstatic about what we will do. ᏓᏤᏝ ᎨᏎᏍᏗ

ᎢᏨᏯᎴᎵᏤᎭ I appreciate the support of all of you that posted or liked my thoughts above. I will focus on the future and move forward but I'm afraid our toughest battles are ahead but even if we loose a few we will not give up. Our greatest victories are ahead of us as well. 

I'm not talking about ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ vs ᎠᏂᏲᏁᎦ or any sort of insurrection, our battles will be to maintain the foundations of our tribal identities, and they will be in the hearts and minds of our loved ones and in the power and money of politics. We must ensure that our ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏕᎦᏚᎯ ᎤᏂᏃᎮᏓ ᏧᏂᏴᏫ are strengthened and revitalized to a greater extent with each passing generation. In the past this has not happened and it is not happening now but in the future it must and it will because we do not give up. ᎾᏑᎳᎪᎬᎾ ᏂᏧᎳᎭ ᎢᏓᎢᏎᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬᎾ ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏐ ᏂᎪᎯᎳ ᎡᎭ ᎨᏎᏍᏗ

ᎣᏏᏳ 
ᎠᏯ ᏩᏕ ᎦᎵᏍᎨᏫ ᏥᎪᏪᎸᎦ

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